1 88 ] Fish and Their Fabulous Neighbors 



Architect of the Seas: Any child's imagination is bound to be 

 stimulated by the amazing explanation of how the tiny soft- 

 bodied coral polyp produces these gigantic structures. A newborn 

 coral polyp is active at first and swims freely; but soon it fastens 

 itself to a rock or to the sea floor. Using carbonate of lime obtained 

 from food and water, it forms a little platform under its body 

 and a hard wall (called the skeleton) around itself. 



What happens to most kinds of corals is that these new polyps 

 remain attached to the parent and in turn produce new buds. 

 As the older ones die, young polyps build on top of their skeletons 

 and thus the structure grows until an island or reef is formed. 



THE BASHFUL SNAILS 



Observing a snail's daily activities need not be the only- 

 pleasure your child derives from his unusual pet. He can also train 

 the animal to be less shy. I knew one friendly snail that would 

 come out of its shell when summoned by a sharp clicking sound, 

 and would proceed to eat from its owner's fingers. 



When a snail has enough confidence to come out of its shell, 

 your child will be able to observe its eyes, which are located at 

 the ends of tentacles attached to its head; he can also study the 

 horny jaws that cut up the plant material it eats. If the snail learns 

 to eat from his finger, he can feel the tiny teeth on the tongue 

 which give it a sandpaper texture. 



How to Take Care of a Pet Snail: A glass terrarium furnished with 

 moss and ferns makes an excellent home for a snail. You will 

 need a wire covering for the enclosure, as snails can crawl up any- 

 thingeven a slippery piece of glass. They owe this ability to a 

 substance they secrete as they travel. Snails require little food, 

 usually thriving on cabbage or lettuce leaves, carrot pulp and 

 the like. 



At the Seashore 



If you could take your child on an exploring trip around a 

 coral reef, you would find many fantastic forms of life such as the 

 giant plantlike sea anemones, and such shellfish as the bright 

 pink crab that camouflages itself with bits of sponge. Such an ex- 



